On this week’s edition of The Goggler Pull List, we review and recommend Cullen Bunn’s Lucky Devil and Sam Hamm and Joe Quinones’ Batman ’89.
Let’s check it out.
Lucky Devil (Cullen Bunn and Fran Galán)
Cullen Bunn is one of those creators whose works are always on my Pull List. I came to him by way of his and Tyler Crook’s Harrow County and haven’t looked back. That comic, with its gorgeous prose, stunning art, vast world building, and effortless mix of fantasy and horror, is an absolute masterpiece. (It’s also incredibly scary. Which, let me tell you, is very difficult to pull off in a comic book.)
Lucky Devil is a little different. Where Harrow County and Manor Black were serious explorations into the mythology of horror, this one does have more of a comedic tone. Bunn isn’t going for straight up laughs, but there is definitely an irreverence here that will make your lip curl.
So what’s it about?
Stanley is your everyday loser. He is treated like shit at work, his girlfriend is cheating on him, and he has no self-confidence whatsoever. One day, when he is at his lowest, just when he thinks things can’t get any worse, he is suddenly possessed by an overwhelmingly evil force called Zedirex the Tormentor, who imbues Stanley with some truly diabolical powers. Suddenly filled with the courage to stand up for himself, Stanley (by way of Zed) carves out a path of destruction as he takes revenge on everyone who has ever wronged him.
There are hints here of Doug Mahnke and John Arcudi’s The Mask. Also the story of a downtrodden schlub who is granted nearly unlimited powers by an ancient mask. It might even have been a direct inspiration given that both characters are called Stanley.
It’s all pretty funny and cathartic (also completely brutal) until Stanley’s conscience once again kicks in. Terrified of the demon within, he seeks out a sketchy psychic for an exorcism. Which works. The demon is expelled from Stanley’s body, but for some reason, he’s still managed to retain all of the strength and power of hell within him. So what is a guy to do? Well, form a cult and become some sort of messianic leader of course.
Lucky Devil is well written and beautifully rendered. (I mean, just look at the lighting in the panels below.) It takes on some complex themes and does so by putting a new twist on an old trope. There is also some real darkness within these pages. Fran Galán takes real glee in leaning into the gruesome, supplementing his already intricate character work with grisly delight. (There is definitely something rejuvenating in watching an asshole from work vomit up demons from hell.)
There is always something compelling about these kinds of revenge fantasies. They tend to appeal to something primal within us. We love it when the underdog strikes back. We feel a thrill whenever those bullies finally get the comeuppance they so rightly deserve. But what happens when the person you’re rooting for takes it too far? Where do we draw the line between righting wrongs and straight up bloody revenge? (And what happens when you throw demons from hell into the mix?)
Lucky Devil is only four issues, but if this first issue is anything to go by, then it promises to be a lot of fun.
Batman ’89 (Sam Hamm and Joe Quinones)
I’m a huge Batman fan. But I will also be the first to call out DC on flooding the market with far too many Batman comics. Yes, he’s the most popular character in their catalogue at the moment. Yes, all of this is probably making them a lot of money. But from a reader’s perspective, it really feels like quantity over quality at this point of time. There’s a lot out there, but none of it has been terribly exciting.
At least until Batman ’89 – a six issue limited series that’s set in Tim Burton’s universe, that’s written by Sam Hamm – who was responsible for penning the first Batman movie – and illustrated by the amazing Joe Quinones. What’s not to love? Heck, we finally get to see how a third Burton Batman movie might have turned out. (I don’t think many of us have forgiven Warner Bros. for pivoting towards Joel Schumacher on that one.)
Batman ’89 takes place after the events of Batman Returns. The comic opens with an attack on Gotham by the Joker Gang during the city’s annual Halloween parade. Their plot is foiled by Batman, who in his haste ends up costing the city millions in damages. Harvey Dent is enraged by Batman’s recklessness and takes it upon himself to end the vigilante’s reign on the city.
This is as much a Harvey Dent story as it is a Batman story. And I for one am thrilled to be able to spend some real time with the character. Billy Dee Williams was, unfortunately, relegated to playing a glorified cameo in Tim Burton’s original Batman movie and it’s great that we are able to see his Dent slowly descend into what could be a remarkable take on Two Face.
Here, Hamm goes a long way in establishing Dent’s ambition, confidence, as well as his cunning in trying to cheat fate. He dives deep into Dent’s struggle with identity and race, adding a level of intricacy to Two Face’s backstory that we’ve never experienced before.
Hamm also successfully channels the tone and pacing of Burton’s Batman movies in a way that immediately pulls you back to that specific time and place. Batman has taken on many incarnations since then (See: Christopher Nolan, Zack Snyder, etc.) but Hamm utilizes some clever shortcuts to make clear exactly which version this is without spending too much time reintroducing him to audiences.
Diving into the first issue of Batman ’89 feels completely immersive. And while there is a lot here that relies on your nostalgia for those first two Burton movies, Hamm and Quinones successfully build on it to give us something that is fresh and exciting.
Batman ’89 isn’t just another shameless cash grab. This feels important. It is a faithful continuation of Burton’s vision, one that builds on those characters, and progresses their stories in meaningful ways.
Also, look, it’s the giant penny!
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